Blackwall and the Inquisitor Cadash
by MireliAmbar
Summary: Scenes of life between Natalia Cadash and Blackwall as their friendship and eventually, relationship grows. Currently posted on AO3 in a series called 'Blackwall and the Inquisitor'
1. Chapter 1

**He was bare-chested and grizzled, his eyes dark with lack of sleep.**

 _No good_ , Blackwall thought, _sleep is not going to happen tonight._

Pulling breeches and a shirt on, he crept downstairs and into the stables. The Inquisitor's horse, a nimble Dalish All-bred called Bonnie, stood in the stable as if waiting for his attention. He murmured and opened the stable door, slipping inside. "Waiting for me were you girl?"

Getting his pocket knife out, he cut the apple into pieces and fed the Inquisitor's eager mount. Many was the night he came and groomed Bonnie, talking in a low voice. He often found he could tell the horse anything.

"Life is so much more simple if you're a horse. No falling for someone you can't have – or thinking they deserve so much more than you."

The horse gave a low neigh and shook her head as if disagreeing with him. Blackwall chuckled at her response.

"You don't agree with me. Each to their own."

It was then he heard the quiet footsteps in the stable. "Who's there?" He reached for a sword that just wasn't there and moved to the front of the stable.

A red-haired dwarf stepped out into the low light of the stable. "It's just me, Warden Blackwall."

"Inquisitor Cadash! I d-didn't know… I mean I didn't know you were there." He could feel himself stammering like a man who'd never bedded a woman. _Idiot._

Natalia Cadash smiled at him and stroked Bonnie's nose. "I wondered who had been taking such good care of my Bonnie. Dennet doesn't have the time."

Blackwall frowned as he continued to groom the horse's mane. "She's a patient horse and easy to groom. I just thought I'd help is all." He could feel his cheek flush at his lie.

"And she's good at listening too. When we're at camp, she listens to me." His eyes met hers and for the first time he wondered just how much the Inquisitor had heard.

Her hand on his arm, her voice became blunt. "Go to bed, Blackwall. I want you at your best when we go into the Exalted Plains tomorrow." She let go of his arm and continued, "And perhaps you can teach me how to groom my horse when we're in camp." He saw the trace of a smile and had the urge to trace his thumb across her lips.

"I'd be glad to, my Lady." Blue eyes met her green and he swore he saw her swallow hard before disappearing into the night.

Strangely, as he lay down, sleep came straight away.


	2. Chapter 2

Too Close

" _Makers Balls_ , Inquisitor! Careful with your arrows, you nearly took my eye out!" He heard his loud voice growl after the fight ended, and could have bit his tongue as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Blackwall saw the hurt in Natalia's eyes and wondered if he should apologise. Before anything else could be said between them, she stalked off to talk to the rest of the group. _Fuck._

Later, once they'd had food and people were going to bed, he sat at the fire, a small piece of wood in his hand, whittling with a knife he always carried. He'd not managed to say an apology all night and although she'd not ignored him, there had been a strange atmosphere between them, to the point that Sera had given him raised eyebrows.

Hearing quiet footsteps, he kept the knife in his hands and turned to look. Instead of the Red Jenny however, it was the Inquisitor. He straightened out and was about to stand when the Inquisitor shook her head as she sat next to him, "No need to stand, Warden Blackwall."

He was acutely aware the Inquisitor was in pants and shirt, not armour, a casual moment in camp. "I'm sorry.". Natalia's words sounded hesitant, yet genuine.

 _Dammit_ , before he could even say a word, the woman had apologised to him. The Warden frowned, "No, Inquisitor, I'm sorry. I was rude and spoke without thinking."

All of a sudden the mood lightened. "Like you did the first time I met you?" Natalia Cadash had a cheeky grin on her face.

Without thinking, he chuckled, "Just like that. There's something about fighting skeletons and stepping on bones that just… sets me on edge." There, he'd told her.

Natalia opened a bottle she'd carried out of the tent with her, taking a swig before offering him some. "I noticed you seemed irritated. So that's what it was."

He swigged a mouthful and handed it back as the drink burned down his throat. "It's only been in the Exalted Plains I've felt like that."

The Inquisitor paused for a moment before saying, "Did I tell you I was a surface dwarf? It wasn't always that way, we had to leave Orzammar when I was a kid. You know what scared me most about coming to the surface?" He shook his head as he listened fascinated. "Wide open spaces. We were always lead to believe we'd float off into the sky when we came to the surface. What a crock of nugshit." She snorted and swigged another mouthful. Anyone else, he would have laughed, but the notion of her being told she'd float away seemed incredibly cruel.

"What I mean is, Blackwall, you'll get used to them walking round and flailing at you. Just kick the crap out of them like you would any normal enemy and crunch those bones under foot. Its fine, you can always drink your thoughts away later." Standing up, she handed him the remnants of the firewater before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Go to bed, Blackwall. You need to be alert for skeleton kicking duty tomorrow. ", She grinned at him before walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

Drunk in Charge of an Inquisitor

"Go, Blackwall, GO!" The Inquisitor yelled in Blackwall's ear, pointing in front of both of them.

"Inquisitor –"

"I'm not drunk, I pwomise." Natalia giggled as he hefted her up. "Oooo I never knew you liked me like _that_ , Blackwall.", referring to his method of keeping her on his back.

"Well I can drop you instead, Natalia, if you'd prefer." Blackwall hissed from between clenched teeth as he started to climb the stairs, being semi-strangled by his boss. He tried to remember just when he'd suggested giving the Inquisitor a piggyback from the tavern to her room, but was pretty damn sure it had something to do with Sera, who, by the time the Inquisitor needed to go back to her room, had planted the idea firmly in Natalia's head.

"No, no! I'll be good, I will!" He tried not to cringe as the tone and volume grew for the whole of the Great Hall to hear. Luckily, very few people were in the Hall at that time of night. Looking round the door to the right and he emited a sigh of relief – no Varric.

"Fine. Let's get you home, Inquisitor." The Warden lifted her up and tried to stop her from cutting off any vital airways but her arms just clung tighter to him.

"Hommmmeeee. I like my room but it's too large for me, I should be sharing it with a group of people, it's _that big_.", Natalia poked his shoulder to emphasise her words.

After what felt like an age, his tired legs drew up outside the Inquisitor's quarters. Opening the door, he took a deep breath at the sight of yet more stairs in front of him. _Okay, you can do this._

Natalia yawned, head on his back, "Did anyone ever tell you, you make a great pillow. I could just fall asleep like this."

Blackwall laughed, "You're not the first woman to tell me that, Natalia. But no falling asleep, you're nearly there." Relieved to hit the top step as the burn in his legs grew intense, backed up to her large bed and when he had no response, he patted her leg. "Come on, Inquisitor, you need to get off my back."

Natalia finally took the hint and let go of him, dropping down onto the bed. "So tired." He watched her flop back and curl up like a cat.

"Hey, let's take your boots off first, Natalia." Tapping on the bottom of her feet, when she didn't respond, Blackwall sighed and pulled her boots off himself, before pulling the covers over her to keep her warm. He glanced round the room and realised the Inquisitor was right. They could have fitted half the barracks in her room and still had room for more. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he straightened out her boots and put them under the edge of her bed.

"You know, Blackwall, I think you're the best." Natalia mumbled into the pillow, "And you give great piggybacks too." She giggled at the imagined innuendo and pulled the covers up. Blackwall left the room as quietly as he could.

On the walk back to the stables, he tried to ignore the churning in his head and heart.

 _What would Natalia say when she found out?_


End file.
